Editorial: Leecia Eve, an AG for us all

Updated
11:39 am EDT, Sunday, September 2, 2018

Leecia Eve, one of four Democrats seeking the nomination for state attorney general, speaks to the Times Union editorial board on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018, at Times Union in Colonie N.Y. (Will Waldron/Times Union) less

Leecia Eve, one of four Democrats seeking the nomination for state attorney general, speaks to the Times Union editorial board on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018, at Times Union in Colonie N.Y. (Will Waldron/Times ... more

Leecia Eve, one of four Democrats seeking the nomination for state attorney general, speaks to the Times Union editorial board on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018, at Times Union in Colonie N.Y. (Will Waldron/Times Union) less

Leecia Eve, one of four Democrats seeking the nomination for state attorney general, speaks to the Times Union editorial board on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018, at Times Union in Colonie N.Y. (Will Waldron/Times ... more

In the Democratic primary for state attorney general, Leecia Eve may be the candidate most New York voters have heard the least about — and the one they should most fully consider.

Ms. Eve brings to the race energy, independence, an impressive breadth of legal and governmental experience, and a clear understanding of the job's potential. And, significantly, she brings a broader view of New York — upstate and downstate — than her rivals. That's an essential quality for leading an office which, after all, must protect the interests of all New Yorkers.

Ms. Eve stands out in a capable Democratic field that also includes Letitia James, the New York City public advocate; Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, who represents the 18th Congressional District and served as White House staff secretary under President Bill Clinton and first deputy secretary to former Govs. Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson; and Zephyr Teachout, a Fordham University law professor who brings a high profile to the race from her past unsuccessful runs for governor and Congress.

They're all fine candidates; each would bring unique qualities to the job. But Ms. Eve stands out for several reasons. Notably, though she has lived for two decades in Harlem, she was born and raised upstate. (Her father was a longtime Assembly member from Buffalo, and her mother a social justice crusader there.) She would offer balance and perspective to a Democratic ticket that is otherwise downstate-centric.

She also brings an independence to the job that Ms. James, who has been endorsed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, can't quite claim. That's fundamental for one element of the AG's job: to be a watchdog on government corruption. Ms. Eve would fully use the office's authority toward that end, rather than rely on the governor for an official designation that is unlikely if Mr. Cuomo is reelected.

While Ms. Teachout is the most outspoken progressive in the race, Ms. Eve brings a more understated but no less firm sense of social justice to her candidacy, notably on such issues as reforming the criminal justice system, ensuring fairness in education, and going after environmental violations.

All the candidates vow to continue the attorney general's recent role of challenging the Trump administration's reprehensible approach to immigration, its destructive environmental policies and other matters. Yet Ms. Eve seems less likely to face the distraction of being the sort of political lightning rod Ms. Teachout has become. She strikes the right balance of shared progressive goals and political distance from both Mr. Cuomo and his challenger, Cynthia Nixon.

Mr. Maloney also brings ample experience in state and federal government. But he is more needed elsewhere: in his current House seat, from which we hope he can rise to congressional leadership.

Ms. Eve, 54, boasts a solid resume for the job. A graduate of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Law School, she worked as a law clerk in state Court of Appeals, as a counsel to then-U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden Jr., and as homeland security advisor to then-Sen. Hillary Clinton. She was Mr. Cuomo's deputy secretary for economic development, and has worked in private and corporate practice as well, currently serving as vice president for government affairs for Verizon for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

In a unusually strong Democratic field, Ms. Eve is the candidate who can best carry a progressive yet universal message into the general election, and hit the ground running when she takes office. We enthusiastically urge her election.